Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 27, 2021
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
The people gathered around Jesus want a straight answer. They want to know that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus’ response to these people indicates that faith is not simply a matter of knowledge or certainty—it is about building an intimate friendship with him.
I find my faith in Christ falling into this cerebral realm from time to time. So how might we develop a friendship and true faith in Christ? The Gospel tells us: we must become sheep.
Why sheep? Sheep follow. Sheep are like children—they are simple and trusting and vulnerable. Jesus tells us we can learn from both children and sheep about faith: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4). Both children and sheep put their whole lives singly in the hands of someone else—they are symbols of belonging to Christ.
In this gospel, Jesus says, “No one can take them out of my hand.” I find these words extremely comforting. They make me feel like a child holding securely to my parent’s hands, except all the better: Christ is holding my hand, too.
There are many passions of this world that try to snatch our attention from Jesus. In the face of them, as frequently as possible, we must do as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux did in her life, which was to surrender to Christ’s love and become “a little one.”
Prayer
Christ our Good Shepherd, you tirelessly seek out the lost, and you give strength to the weary sinner. In your unfathomable mercy, you never cease to pour out blessings upon those who despair of finding you. Help us to extend this same spirit of consolation to our brothers and sisters in need, and may we always imitate your example of tender care towards the poor. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Zita is a popular Italian saint whose extreme popularity far outstrips her humble life.
Zita was born around the year 1212 in the Tuscan region of northern Italy. To help out her impoverished family, Zita took a position in the household of a wealthy landowner. Zita was not always treated with kindness and respect, and she was often overburdened with work from her employers and the other servants who worked with her.
Despite the ill-treatment, Zita remained patient and kind towards all her coworkers. Through her persistent charity, Zita managed to persevere in a Christ-like joy. Her witness inspired her employers to become more devoted Christians. Zita went to Mass each morning, which gave her the energy to persevere in love, even in the midst of pain.
One commonly told anecdote about Zita recounts the presence of angels at her work station in the kitchen. Zita left her work one morning to care for a family in need. Other servants in the kitchen, hoping to get her in trouble, reported to the Fatinelli family that Zita had left her post, accusing her of shirking her work and being lazy. When Zita's employers came down to the kitchen to investigate, they found angels in the kitchen, baking the bread in Zita's place.
Zita died on April 27, 1272. She had lived to be sixty years old. The Fatinelli family immediately started praying to Zita and invoking her aid. Through their intercession, Zita became a widely invoked saint. Over 150 miracles were credited to her before Zita was canonized in 1696.
In 1580, Zita's body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt. Since then, it has been on display for veneration at the Basilica in Lucca. For centuries, families have baked a loaf of bread on St. Zita's feast. You can participate in this tradition by baking one of the bread recipes for St. Zita's day with your family or friends.
St. Zita, patron saint of household workers and finding lost keys—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Zita is available for use under a Creative Commons license. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
